St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-01-15
COREAN COSTUMES.
The Wonderful Hats and Peculiar Stockings
Worn by the Natives of Corca.

The Wonderful Hats and Peculiar Stockings
Worn by the Natives of Corea.
The Coreans occupy position geo.
graphically between China and Japan,
and they partake Of the characteristics
of both. They have fine physiques, the
average Corean exceeding even the
average Chinaman III sturliness,
though perhaps not in height, while
they tower like giants above the diminu-
tive Japs. In complexion again they
differ from both, not being so dark as
the japanese nor 50 yellow as the
Chinese.
In the matter Of clothing Corea is
unique. There can be 10 doubt that
the prevailing color is what is supposed
to be white. A man starting out in the
morning .arrayed in frcshly-laundricd
clothing presents Il remarkably fresh
appearance, but on his return at
night he may not be spot"
less. The articles Of clothing
worn are, first hat, OF
III Their two or even three are worn at
one time; tunic, loose and reaching
to the waist; loose, baggy white trous.
ers supported by q girdle; white leg
gings, white stockings, shoes Of various
kinds; and, over all. a coat the sleeves
of witch are very flowing and reach
down to the hips or lower, and are
seWed up from the bottom to the wrist
50 as to form very capacious pockets.
where merchants often carry goods in
astonishing quantities. In these peck.
cts the petty official carries his fan, his
handkerchief, his tablets for writing,
and sundry little articles. Not to be
forgotten are the purse for coins and
knife, and the tobacco-pouch and pipe
suspended from the girtlle, without
which no Corean is dressed. In the
case of men of high rank, however,
these latter articles are carried by his
servants, a great retinue Of whom at
tend him.
Of all lands in the world, Corea is
the land of hats. There is some variety,
but no change in style. The fashion
once set everybody follows it and sticks
to it. Barring the forests Of Amazon,
where hats like umbrellas are worn to
shed snakes which rain down from the
dense, overhanging branches, Corea
leads the world in the superficial area
of headgear. They may be seen there
measuring two feet from the brim to the
crown. Nor is this a very uncommon
size But the usual hat is Of black ma
terial, resembling buckram, with straight
brim and straight crown, square on the
top, the crown not large enough to tit
down upon the head, but kept in place
bv ribbons under the chin. Not merely
one hat is worn at q time; often as
many as three 90 together. First there
is the crownless hat spoken Of, then an
other, Indicating that the wearer has
s'taken the quaga," or passed an exam
ination for the rank of 'scholar,' then
besides and over these is the usual
straight brimmed hat.
The stockings are quite peculiar;
These are invariably white, and are
made by putting between two thick
nesses of cloth~a thick padding of ma
tive cotton. They are not clumsy, as
one would think, but are very shapely,
and are necessitated by the construc-
ton of the shoes. These latter are OF
various kinds-of wood, leather and
cloth, and braided straw. The straw
shoes are often worn without stockings,
nearly always so by the coolies and
those whose business carries them out
into the street. Wooden shoes are
hewn out of blocks of wood and set on
two pieces of timber SO as to raise them
out of the mud, and SO serve as sort
of rain shoes. They are, of course,
very hard, and can not be fitted to the
feet. The stockings, therefore, render
easy what would otherwise be extreme
" harsh and uncomfortable. The
leather or cloth shoes are not raised
from the ground, but have thick soles,
like Chinese shoes, with heavy hob
nails on the bottom. They are neat in
appearance, and look as though they
might be worn with comfort by any
one. Upon entering a house Corean
leaves his shoes at the door and enters
in his stocking feet, and servants move
around in the house shoeless and noise.
| less.-Cor. n. Y. Post.